Circuit-breaker.



WY 8. HARLEY.

CIRCUIT BREAKER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 18, 1914.

Patented Sept. 18, 1917.

, UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM S. HARLEY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR T0 HARLEY-DAVIDSONMOTOR 00., OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

it CIRCUIT-BREAKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 18, 1914. Serial No. 839,204.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. HARLEY, a citizen of the United States,and resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State ofWisconsin, have invented certain newand useful Improvements inCircuit-Breakers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, economical andeffective enginecontr'olled pneumatic means for breaking an electriccircuit, the invention being particularly designed for use in connectionwith igniting and lighting circuits having a storage battery andgenerator therein, the construction and arrangement being such that whenthe engine is stopped, the circuit is broken by differential airpressures under control of the engine to thus prevent reversal of thecurrent from the battery whereby the generator is converted into amotor, resulting in depletion of the storage battery.

So far as I am aware means for breaking circuits of the above referredto character comprising manually controlled mechanical devices,electrically controlled circuit breakers and signals have been utilized,but prac tice has developed that such means'only partially effect thedesired result, for various reasons, and particularly that such devicesare not positivelv and automatically controlled by movement of theengine. Hence it frequently occurs that when the engine of a selfpropelled vehicle is at rest, the storage battery in circuit with thegenerator, will cause back flow of current whereby the energy of thebattery is wasted in driving the generator which is then idly rotatmg asa motor.

All of the above objectionable features are overcome with my device andwith the above objects in view the invent-ion consists in certainpeculiarities of construction and combination of elements as set forthhereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawing and subsequentlyclaimed;

The drawing illustrates a diagrammatic view of a gas engine providedwith a spark- .ing circuit and lighting circuit embodying the featuresof my invention.

Referring by characters to the drawings, 1

represents the firing end of an internal combustion engine provided witha manifold or intake tube 2, which tube carries a carbureter 3, saidintake tube being provided with a check-valve 4 at its discharge mouth.The engine cylinder is also provided with a valve-controlled exhaustnozzle 5 and a camcontrolled circuit breaker comprising separatedcontact members 6, 6'. The firing end of the cylinder 1 is also providedwith the usual spark-plug 7, which spark-plug is connected to thecontact member 6 through a conductor 8, there being a high tension coil9 interposed between the conductor 8 and said spark-plug. The oppositeterminal of the conductor 8 is secured to a pivoted switch arm 10, whichswitch arm is also connected to a generator 11 through a conductor wire12, the said generator being also connected to one terminal of a storagebattery 13 through a conductor wire 14, which wire is also connected tothe contact member 6 of the cam-controlled circuit breaker. The otherterminal of the storage battery is connected by a wire 15 to a contactblock 15, which contact block is arranged to engage the free end of theswitch-arm 10. The storage battery is also connected to the feedwires 16of a lighting circuit as shown. The

switch-arm 10, which constitutes a pneumatlcally controlled switchmakeand break mechanism, is connected to the flexible upper wall of adiaphragm 17 constituting an air chamber, said upper wall being normallydistended by a coiled spring 17 The chamber 17 of the diaphragmcommunicates with the intake tube 2 of the engine through a pipe 18 andthe intake mouth of the chamber is controlled by a check-valve 19, whichvalve is in the form of a by a delicate coiled spring.

In the operation of my device, it is ob ball held to its seat partiallyexhaust the air from the diaphragm chamber, thereby creating a vacuumwhich will cause the switch arm to be drawn downward. closing thecontact between the switch arm and block 15. lhus the circuits areclosed while the engine is running and the said circuits will be heldclosed due to the vacuum produced in the chamber 17, whereby saidigniting and lighting circuits are normally maintained.

It is obvious that when the engine comes to rest, there being no longera means for maintaining the 'acuum in the chamber 17, the diaphragm willact to break the igniting and generating circuit so as to thus preventthe battery from creating a circuit through said generator.

' It is obvious that the check valve 19, which controls the mouth of thediaphragm chamher, is employed to prevent the initial pulsations of theengine piston being transmitted to the chamber, whereby a vibratorymovementwould be imparted to the switcharm 10. Thus it will be seen thatby differential air pressures controlled by the engine, the circuit isautomatically and positively broken.

While I have shown and, described the valve-controlled chambercomprising the actuating element'ot' the make and break switch connectedto the intake pipe tube of the engine, it is obvious that I may, withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention, connect this chamber to anyportion of the engine, whereby when said engine is put into motionvariation in air pressure will cause the make and break mechanism tooperate.

I claim:

1: In an electric supply system, the combination of an internalcombustion engine, a vacuum responsive device associated with the intakepipe thereof adapted to respond relatively quickly to a partial vacuumin said intake pipe and relatively slowly to the absence of vacuum insaid intake pipe, and an electric circuit controlled by said vacuumresponsive device.

2. In an electric supply system, the combination of an internalcombustion engine, a vacuum responsivecircuit controlling deviceassociated with the intake pipe thereof adapted to respond relativelyquickly to a partial vacuum in said intake pipe and relatively slowly tothe absence of vacuum in said intake pipe, an electric generator drivenby said internal combustion engine, a storage battery adapted to becharged by said generator and an electric circuit including saidbattery, generator and vacuum'responsive circuit controlling device. 1

3. In an electric supply system, the combination of an internalcombustion engine, a vacuum responsive circuit controlling deviceassociated with the intake pipe of said internal combustion engine, saiddevice being relatively quickly displaced from its normal position bythe presence of a partial vacuum in said intake pipe, and returning toits normal position relatively slowly during the absence of a partialvacuum in said intake pipe, a source of electricity, ignition apparatusfor said internal combustion engine, and an electric circuit includingsaid source of electricity, said ignition circuit and said vacuumresponsive circuit controlling device.

a. In an electric supply system, the combination of an internalcombustion engine, a vacuum responsive circuit controlling deviceassociated with the intake pipe of said internal combustion engine, saiddevice being relatively quickly displaced from its normal position bythe presence of a partial vacuum in said intake pipe and returning toits normal position relatively slowly during the absence of such vacuumin said intake pipe, a source of electric energy, a load for saidsource, and a circuit including said source of electric energy, saidload and said vacuum responsive circuit controlling device.

5. In an electric supply system, the combination of an internalcombustion engine, a chamber communicating with the intake pipe thereof,a check valve in the pasage between said chamber and said'intake pipe,permitting a rapid flow of air from said chamber to said intake pipe,and but a slow flow of air in the opposite direction, a flexible pieceforming a portion of the wall of said chamber, and an electric circuitcontrolled by said flexible piece.

6. In an electric supply system, the combination of an internalcombustion engine, an electric circuit controlling means relativelyquicklyiesponsive to a difference of pressure resulting from the actionof said engine and relatively slowly responsive to the absence of suchpressure, and an electric circuit controlled thereby.

7. In combination with an internal combustion engine and an electricsupply system'employed therewith, of an electric controlling meansresponsive to a"change of pressure resulting from the action of theengine, and an electric c-ircuit controlled thereby, said responsivemeans comprising a chamber in which pressure differing from theatmospheric pressure is produced, and. means whereby pressure in saidchamber is permitted to change relatively quickly in one direction andrelatively slowly in the other direction.

8. In combination with an internal combustion engine and an electricsupply system employed therewith, of an electric controlling meansresponsive to a change of pressure resulting from the actionof theengine, and an electric circuit controlled thereby, sald responsivemeans comprising a chamber in which a pressure differing in the countyof Milwaukee and State of from atmospheric pressure is produced, andWisconsin, in the presence of two Witnesses. means comprlsmg a valvepermitting a more rapid change of pressure in said chamber WILLIAMHARLEY 5 in one direction than in the other direction, Witnesses:

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I E. J. MUELLER, have hereuntoset my hand at Milwaukee, J. B. KAMERLING.

